It wouldn’t be an issue in an Asian house. I would already know to do it.
Oh, and just to address the other side, based on my previous statements, it should be obvious that I would think it odd to see anybody start pulling their shoes off at my front door.
The kind of flooring you have makes a difference. We rent a carpeted apartment, and although the carpet is a grayish-sand color, the carpet at the entry is discolored with the dirt and grime of the previous tenant. (Classy place, didn’t change the carpets between tenants.) It’s absolutely noticeable and although the rest of our place is clean, the dirty floor makes the apartment look gross. If you have hardwood floors, whether someone takes their shoes off is less of a big deal because it’s so much easier to clean. Vacuums and mops don’t remove stains from carpets.
No odder than it would be for me to see someone tromping around with their muddy shoes on at a house party in Calgary in the middle of winter. That’s the whole thing about cultural differences; our cultures are DIFFERENT. Different does not equal BAD.
Oooh, gutsy.
We generally take ours off in our own home (New Jersey) but primarily out of comfort, not out of any cleanliness/cultural imperative. We don’t ask guests to take theirs off, they can do what they want. When I visit someone else’s home, I tend to leave them on, but in some peoples’ homes I’ll take them off if the hosts aren’t wearing shoes. I can’t recall ever being asked to take my shoes off, except when I’m in the home of an Asian friend. And I think it would be weird to be asked to take mine off and put on a pair of their slippers.
:dubious:
When we used to have an outdoors cat, we would wipe his paws off when he came back inside. Not saying everyone does that, though. 
A little moisture won’t hurt anything, but we’re not talking about a little moisture; we’re talking about dripping mud, over and over again for months of the year. Our carpets (and presumably yours, too), get filthy in no time flat if shoes are left on in the house in winter. And cleaning carpets is a pain, and it’s not particularly good for them, and you can’t clean them in winter anyway, because you can’t leave windows and doors open to dry them properly.
Sometimes I take my shoes off, sometimes I leave them on. Guests to my house sometimes take their shoes off, sometimes they leave them on. I don’t tell anyone what to do.
Radical, eh?
Uh, are you talking to me? Who said it was bad?
I don’t see that it’s been brought up yet, but there are some diabetics like my father that have to wear some type of shoe basically whenever they are up and about. It has to be something with a sturdy structure, too–not just regular slippers. Any type of injury to an extremity can be very bad news to diabetics and protecting the feet as much as possible is crucial.
I had no idea it was a custom other than in Asian cultures. I can see that it would make sense in colder climates with snow and slush in wintertime and, presumably, with baseboard or floor heating.
I’ve never been asked to remove my shoes upon entering someone’s home except for my sister’s rental house… and that was because she had light carpets that she’d just had professionally cleaned and she was trying to avoid having to have them cleaned again before she moved out of the place. I fully understand that. 
In our home, we are pro-shoe because of having pets inside, specifically litter-tracking cats. I am never barefoot inside. I am a big believer in “house shoes”, however… the slightly sturdy version of bedroom slippers with a thin rubber sole and cushy elasticized fabric upper.
Can I join you in your radicalism, August West? (Had to edit to add that; three people jumped in while I was typing!)
I would never ask someone coming into my home to take off their shoes. I would expect that a person coming in with obviously muddy shoes would say something like, oh, let me kick them off, they’re all dirty. (As I would in someone else’s house.) In my own house, sometimes I have shoes on, sometimes I don’t – I’m just crazy that way.
Because of my own indifferent shoesie habits, I probably wouldn’t automatically kick my shoes off in someone else’s home. Actually, I know I wouldn’t, since it might imply a sense of “I’ll just make myself at home!” that might be too casual. But if I saw a big pile of shoes by the door, I hope I’d catch a clue. But then, personally, I would never keep a big pile of shoes by the door, so I guess I can’t read a “shoes okay” policy just into its absence.
Wear your shoes on your hands for all I care.
I always take my shoes off when I come into a house. It’s just automatic. Keeps the floors clean. I usually have a pair of slippers by the door to switch into. i’m never barefoot. I hate barefoot. Socks or slippers, always.
Shoes-off was the norm among my family and friends back home in Montreal… but here, nobody seems to do it. Visiting anyone here, my instinct usually makes me take off my shoes at the door, and it’s so ingrained that even when I’m reassured that it’s fine to keep them on, I just can’t do it. I guess I’ll have to adapt… it’s probably not right to be the only shoeless one at a party.
I don’t make rules for anyone coming into my place, though. If I had hardwood floors I think I’d probably pressure people more to take off their shoes, because I hate the clomping.
I’ll start by saying that this was the best progression of thread-hijack-to-fabulously-named-new-thread that I have ever seen. Props.
I am far more comfortable with my shoes off. Barefoot is my preference; flip-flops if that’s not practical. Also I like to sit by folding up my foot under my leg and that’s not fun when you’ve got shoes on.
As a Canadian I grin and bear the lengthy sock season, but I take my shoes off the moment they are no longer strictly necessary. This means that I take my shoes off immediately upon entering my or someone else’s home, and I feel odd if other people have their shoes on in the house.
I don’t much care about the condition of my floors, but notice that there is something of a vicious cycle in effect. If I am barefoot all the time, the floors stay (reasonably) clean. Once I wear shoes around, I don’t want to be barefoot any more. (That’s why Og gave us flip-flops!)
Except that I learned on these very boards that you get a lot more housework done if you leave your shoes on. So I tried that, and dangit, it works. I have had to overcome a lifetime of socialization to leave my shoes on but it really helps me to do the dishes. And since I’m washing the floor anyway …
You shoe-leaver-on-ers: how do you put your feet up on the couch?
This is all very odd.
You don’t have paved walkways?
With cats and dogs, and a mother (she sometimes dog sits for us) that is alergic to cats we carpet clean once in winter and once in summer. As long as it’s a sunny day we have no problems opening the windows for a while in winter. Colorado is great that way. 
We have a gravel and mud drive. The road we live on is mud this time of year. When I come back from walking the dogs I just stomp in any convienient snow pile to get the mud off (still lots of snow up here). Takes three seconds. Stomp/ wipe them off on the carpet runner in the mud room to get the moisture off.
Of course if they are real muddy, I’ll take them off. The ground around here must not have much clay because mud really doesn’t seem to stick to my shoes.
I tend to go in and out a lot, so taking my shoes off and on again is a bit of a pain.
Our carpet is a pretty light color, and for 20 years old still looks pretty good. Maybe I’ll change my routine when we get new carpet.
It’s not just a practical thing for me. When I take off my shoes, I get this feeling that the day is over. I’m sure it’s just the opposite for other people. :shrug:
I wear comfortable shoes. Usually running shoes or light/medium weight hiking boots. Even in the dead of winter with deep snow (gators). I just prefer to leave them on.
We’re leaver-on-ers unless specifically asked. And the only people who ask are the white carpeting crowd.
We obviously will take them off if we’re going to be trudging snow and mud through their house, but my husband and his buddy are in and out of the house a dozen times on the weekend and they stay in the kitchen, so the shoes can stay on.
Mr. K tracked axle grease through the house the day after I had the carpeting cleaned. That wasn’t a pretty sight. Cost me $50 to get it all cleaned up.
I don’t mind my feet on the couch if my shoes aren’t muddy.
I don’t take my shoes off until I’m putting my pajamas on, which is generally around 8 or so. And then I put on socks if it’s cold, or even if it’s not because my feet get chilly anyway. My shoes are comfortable, and sometimes I need to walk outside for something, or go to the backyard, let the dog out, etc. Right now I am sitting here wearing my flip flops and that’s not a bit uncomfortable to me.
As for other people’s houses, I would be extremely uncomfortable if asked to take my shoes off. If I am visiting someone’s home I usually dress halfway nice and my shoes are often a part of my outfit. I have never tracked mud or poo or anything like that into anyone’s home. We generally wipe our feet on the doormat, that is what it’s there for, after all.
Once, some friends and I met up at this Japanese restaurant. They insisted you take your shoes off and I was wearing sandals. I had never been asked to take shoes off in a restaurant and this made me very uncomfortable, especially because it was an Americanized type of place. One of my acquaintences gave me a hard time about not wanting to take them off so I did it. That was the most uncomfortable dining experience of my life. At one point I had to go to the bathroom…barefoot, in a restaurant. I will NEVER go there again.
Well, I take my shoes off. That goes along with putting the pajamas on. Pj’s mean it’s time to relax and lay around. And I don’t generally put my feet on other people’s couches.
Our couch is an L shape. When I lay/sit where I typically do, my lower leg would rest on the arm. And the thing is micro-fiber. Great stuff, near indestructible. I highly recommend it.
Though I should say that if I’m to the point of putting my feet up and watching some TV, my day is pretty much done and I will just as likely take off my shoes.
My Wife is a shoeless one.
When you get 4 feet of snow that thaws and freezes and thaws and freezes and a tonne of gravel and salt and kitty litter chucked all over the place to prevent people from breaking their necks on your paved walkway, your shoes get pretty disgusting even with the foot path there.
Okay, I have to admit that the shoe issue does bug me the mildest, teensiest, leetle bit when it comes to parties. If I’m wearing a drop dead cocktail frock or even a pair of dressy trousers, part of my ensemble is going to be the shoes (heels), and I will look and feel kinda stupid, and not nearly as attractive, to be standing there in my stocking feet. I do wonder about people who don’t let others wear shoes in their homes even for parties. What’s this carpet made of, spun gold?